Locarno 2010

At the 63rd International Festival of Film held 4-14 August 2010 the Ecumenical Jury awarded its prize to Morgen directed by Marian Crisan (France/Romania/Hungary, 2010). Nelu, a Romanian market security guard, befriends an illegal Turkish immigrant. Somehow this would be impossible in today’s world. However, in cinema it becomes a heart-warming series of events that override language and cultural barriers to unveil similarities in life and compassion for the human experience.

The Jury also awarded a Commendation to the film Han Jia / Winter Vacation directed by Li Hongqi (China, 2010). Through a series of constructed images, long takes, and brief often humorous dialogue, Li Hongqi describes the last day of a winter vacation from a melancholic but heart-warming point of view.

The Jury awarded a second Commendation to the film Karamay directed by Xu Xin (China, 2010) for an excellent and courageous testimony to a huge tragedy. Within a framework of cultural tradition that sacrifices the individual to collective welfare, the lack of leaders’ integrity brought nearly 300 children to a horrific death by fire. Shocking emotional interviews of victims edited with footage of the event awakens the viewer's consciousness to necessary personal responsibility.

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